


Under a Different Light.

by Ascella_Star



Series: Killing Canon [1]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga), Code Name: Sailor V
Genre: Actress/Idol Aino Minako, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Artist Zoisite, Autumn, F/M, Gen, Obliviousness, Pining, Rock Star Kunzite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-13 22:49:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16481222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ascella_Star/pseuds/Ascella_Star
Summary: An Important Perfume Brand wants to advertise their new line of products, using celebrities as models. What happens when you have the most sought after actress working with the Front man of a very popular Rock Band?This is the behind the scenes of that campaign.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> What was supposed to be a short silly fic turned out a monster of more than 20k words. 
> 
> So, I decided to use this space to say Thank You! Really thank you to Kanadka for putting up with me and my tardiness.  
> Thank you to JupiterLor for creating awesome Art. Honestly I keep falling in love with it every time I see it.
> 
> Anyway, Happy reading!

The moment their eyes met, they knew it was the end.

It was something they knew would eventually happen for months now; the signs were there, tension between their countries had been escalating quickly to a point of no return, but neither of them wanted to really acknowledge it.

Once upon a time, they agreed that, if this point were ever reached, there would not be tears, nor bittersweet farewells, they would just nod in acceptance and ready their stances.

And so, they were now in opposite sides of a battle neither of them wanted to fight.

She stood proud beside her princess, her sword unsheathed and waiting for instructions.

He was in a similar place on the other side of the battlefield, concurring with his prince and the other generals of the army, probably deciding what would be the best course of action.

And then… the first arrow was shot.

Nobody was sure who shot it, but everybody saw how it hit a minor general on the Lunar Army and the outrage that it caused among the Lunar Army lines.

From then, everything was chaos.

Blood ran freely on the battlefield, the sound of swords clashing and bodies hitting each other was only dwarfed by the battle cries that could be heard all along the place.

She fought fiercely, aiming to get as much ground as possible, but also trying to hurt more than to kill her opponents, a mercy that was not always returned by the enemy.

Unexpectedly, she lost her balance, as she tripped over the mutilated body of a soldier, making her lose her sword. Glancing up, she noticed she was at the mercy of a faceless enemy - one that seemed intent on finishing her as fast as possible.

She managed to dodge a couple of hits, but the same dead body interfered with her daring escape. Everything seemed lost now, and even if she did not wanted to, she knew she was about to die…

Only for a body to suddenly cover her, taking the majority of the attack onto him… even if it still graced her back, and punctured her lung.

The other person was dead instantly.

Her eyes widened and filled with tears when she realized that it was her beloved who had “saved” her.

She swallowed her tears, she promised him as much. She knew she would die soon too, but that did not mean she was going down without a fight.

She killed her opponent, just in time for her to fall to her knees beside her beloved.

 


	2. Meeting you

“And…. Cut! Everybody take a break until I revise the scene again.”

A general groan spread along the filming set when they heard that sentence come again from their Director’s voice.

Any other day, they would gladly wait for the final verdict to know whether the scene was good to stay or if it needed to be adjusted; this time however, they had been repeating it over and over and over, without a single adjustment, or change in the dialogs, or even a change in props.

The Director’s justification? “It doesn’t feel alright somehow.”

And yes, they all knew that this director was particularly quirky, but this cycle of repetitions was just plain ridiculous.

While waiting, everybody scattered around the set, some to get a snack, or a new water bottle. Some other, like Minako, decided to stay close just in case that this was not, again, the definite version of that particular scene.

So, throwing herself rather unceremoniously on a chair nearby, Minako decided to take a quick nap.

In all honesty, she should be reading the draft contract that her agent had given her that same morning, or at least trying to skim over it, but for the moment, she was content enough to know it was a really good opportunity for exposure and that it was for an internationally recognized brand.

Any other detail, for the moment, could wait until she had the mental capacity and the will to study and comprehend it.

However, Minako struggled for a bit to find a comfortable position to rest, and it had nothing to do with the position she was seated or with the table she claimed as temporal resting aid. The fact was, she was not only tired, but she also felt completely restless. It was that restlessness that came with utter exhaustion, the one that begged you to find a comfortable place where you could relax and decompress to be able to properly rest.

Sadly, that moment of the day was still far away, especially with the director’s sudden pickiness. Everybody at the set wanted to just move on and, if necessary, maybe try again some other day.

She was tired of holding the sword; Shinji, her co-protagonist, was sick of the armor, and the filming crew was just desperate to finish the day and not having to hear the director shout to everybody to repeat it from the start because this or that was not right.

A hand on her back startled her, and when she looked up from where she was attempting to have her nap, she found that almost everybody was gone.

“Minako, it’s time to go. Unless you want to keep snoring in the middle of the set!” Shinji told her using a playful tone while smiling.

“Hey! I don’t snore!” was her response while she started to gather her things. She was finally going back to her hotel room.

“Well, the rest of the filming crew could tell you otherwise.”

The playful banter continued from there until it was time to go their separate ways once they were back at the hotel. He tried to ask her out to dinner, but even if the prospect of being seen with her fellow co-star for the film was appealing for publicity’s sake, the idea of a bubble bath and a glass of wine in the privacy of her room won her over.

So with a smile, and a few kind words she climbed out of the elevator, completely missing Shinji’s disappointed face.

* * *

Sweat was dripping down his head, caking some of his silver hair to his face and neck, and some of it blowing out to splash random places along the stage.

The sound of the electric guitar resonated in sync with the one produced by the drummer at the back, and with a nod to the bassist, the band entered the last part of the song they were currently playing.

Hiroshi´s voice soon joined his band mates’ music, quickly prompting the public to sing along in what could be the last song of that night’s set.

And with a last riff and a thank you, the song ended and the lights went out.

Crazed screams soon filled the place, some chorusing the name of the band, others asking for an encore. The band briefly discussed to go out and do it, especially since they had always liked the energy conjured whenever they sang a song or two after “officially” ending a concert.

This time was no exception.

Screams increased in volume when they noticed that the band was indeed coming back to the stage. The chanting of the band’s name was the only thing that stood out on that cacophony of sounds, but soon those screams turned into an enthusiastic rendition of the lyrics of the song they’d chosen for their encore, only to turn back to the name of the band and some exited howls once the song ended.

A final bow from the band, a last thank you, a Good Night and a play of the lights before turning them off, marked the real end of the night.

Their manager approached them promptly, congratulating them for another great night and quickly offering them new water bottles and in some cases clean towels so they could dry the sweat still dripping out, before asking them for their plans for the night.

The drummer and the bassist planned on going to dinner before heading to a bar nearby. The lead guitar was hanging out with a couple of girls he met earlier that day. Hiroshi on the other hand was planned to just head back to the hotel and have a long nice bath.

“Now that you mention you are not going out,” their manager said with a tired smile “I’d like you to read this and consider it for when the tour ends.”

“Is it something relevant for the band?” Hiroshi asked, eyeing the bunch of sheets of paper that his manager had handed him. It looked suspiciously like a contract, though he was not sure what it was about.

“No, or at least not directly. This concerns you mostly, but the band would get better exposure and benefit from indirect attention. Read it at your own pace, we are not in a hurry, and tell me what you think, OK?”

Hiroshi shot a new suspicious look to the papers, but agreed to give them a go.

The band was successful, but some more attention could be good for their sales and projection.

With a nod and a wave of his hand, Hiroshi left the venue, the packet of sheets firmly in his grasp.

* * *

A day later, he was not really convinced by the draft contract. He was a business major and a musician at heart; modelling was not exactly something he considered doing ever, mostly because he thought models were superfluous and airheaded, traits he would gladly prefer to avoid have them related to him.

The fact that he had to work with some starlet in some of the ads was not making it any less unappealing.

With a sigh, he put the papers aside and started to tune his acoustic guitar; he would talk to the band the next day, and maybe, they’d have a different perspective than the one he was getting.

* * *

Two days later he discussed the draft contract with the band.

They joked about him being the ‘handsome one of the band’, and fabricated crazy stories about a steamy romance with his co-model that would end in the most amazing cheating scandal of the year. There was one about an affair with everybody at the set because neither men or women could resist his magnificent charm.

An eye roll was his only answer to that one.

Jokes aside though, they offered really good insight to what was being offered to him, and even gave him some ideas to consider and include in the final version of the contract, such as asking for them to produce the music if there were talks about filming an advert.

This part actually made Hiroshi think.

Remembering the words from their manager, it could serve as an indirect publicity stunt for them, especially if they got to make any music that would accompany the brand’s ads.

It would not just depend on Hiroshi’s looks and work as a “model” but more on the band as a unit.

He knew it would be a good idea to talk to the band. He just now needed to inform their manager about his decision and conditions.

* * *

With filming out of the way, all that was left was promotional events, the autographs signings, interviews, some meet and greets and of course, the premiere of the film.

And from all these events, the one Minako enjoyed the most, was everything that was related to meeting with fans. Minako was well known for always being nice with her fans; no matter the setting or the time, she would always greet them with a smile and some words of encouragement.

Scheduled events however, tended to be a lot more stressful for her than one would actually think. There was something about the rigidity of the events, the brevity and the amount of encounters in a short amount of time that sometimes left her wanting more and sometimes hoping for them to end as quickly as possible.

With these events also came the paparazzi, who were always on the lookout for the next big scandal. Lately, they were eager to see who would be Minako’s next big conquest.

Said apparent conquest seemed to be her latest co-star Shinji Yamanaka, with whom she had actually been out for dinner or for coffee a couple of times while filming.

“That does not mean we are dating!” was Minako’s annoyed response when she read an article about the “Reasons why we believe Minako and Shinji are secretly dating.”

Tossing aside her phone, she decided to keep on looking for the dress she would use for an interview later that night.

From the back of the room, her best friend Usagi snickered before picking out a new dress from the closet.  “You know, I kind of wonder what would the tabloids say if only they knew there had been a considerable amount of time since you had a steady relationship.”

A rather sour expression was the only answer Usagi needed to both her question about the tabloids and the dress in question.

“Seriously Mina, I don’t know how they still think you leave a trail of broken hearts left and right, especially since you are as picky with men as you are with dresses.”

Taking out a pretty [blue](https://es.aliexpress.com/item/Sexy-Short-Bridesmaid-Dresses-Royal-Blue-Halter-Neckline-Chiffon-Mini-Party-Dress-Formal-Gown-Vestido-De/32817078926.html) [dress](https://es.aliexpress.com/item/summer-dress-2014-nightclub-sexy-back-lace-halter-dress-solid-color-chiffon-strap-dress-casual-dress/1963913490.html) next, Usagi turned around to wait for approval. After an enthusiastic nod, they both focused on looking for the perfect accessories for the night.

Minako had met Usagi several years ago, when they were both teens about to start high school. Minako had just transferred to Juuban High, while Usagi had been studying there since middle school. And maybe it was because they both struggled with math, or because they were the only blondes in their class, but once they met, it was like they were joined by the hip.

Usagi had introduced her to her group of friends, who in spite of knowing she was an aspiring idol even then, treated her like a normal person, something she was immensely grateful for.

Years later, even though most of those friendships did not last for much longer after they finished school, Usagi and Minako managed to keep their friendship strong.

Which was why Usagi knew all the details of Minako’s love life… or lack thereof.

“But all joking aside, why don’t you date him? He seems quite enamored of you every time you are near him. And he is quite easy on the eyes!”

“I know… it’s just that… there’s something in him that is missing. As if deep down I know we are not meant to be together…”

“And… the Wisdom of the Goddess of Love strikes again! I guess you’ll have to keep looking for ‘Mr. Right’ then.”

Usagi packed the outfit they selected in a travel bag and wished Minako all the luck for her nightly interview, teasing her about her co-star who would also be attending, and ushering her to the door before it got too late.

They parted ways at the front door of Minako’s apartment building, but not before promising to meet the next day for lunch to analyze the interview.

* * *

_”…so after a few phone calls, we managed to get an interview with Japanese actress Minako Aino._

_If you are one of those who just recently discovered her work, let us tell you a bit about this incredible woman._

_Hailing from Minato-Ku, Tokyo Japan, Minako Aino started her career by what some could classify as accident. While on a mock internship with Tokyo’s police department and attending high school, she won the casting for the lead role in the drama “The Chinese Princess”, a joint collaboration between Avex Trax from Japan, and Shanghai Croton Cultural Media, from China._

_The Chinese Princess was the last part of a series of dramas featuring Japanese Idol Saijou Ace that were a great success in both countries; though Aino’s participation in this film was rather amateurish, she displayed great passion and, according to the people working with them, a great deal of compromise that garnered the admiration of some of the higher-ups from both companies._

_After that, as the saying goes, it was history. Leaving behind the fame garnered by her apparent romantic association with her co-star, Ms Aino has shown us that she’s more than the pretty face that won a popularity casting. Her roles in the Chinese Drama “The Dragon Tales” and the Korean Dorama “Until the End of Times” can attest to that._

_Always keeping up with the latest trends of fashion, Aino is often referred as a symbol of what good taste and class would look like, a trait that she displays now, sitting across from me waiting for the interview to start…”_

The glossy paper of the magazine showed pictures of a blonde woman in her mid to late twenties, wearing a blue dress in different poses and places. The pictures were well distributed along the interview showing the progress of the interview.

The interview itself was not that bad; while it was centred on the actress’ more recent work, it also offered bits and pieces that let the reader know a bit more about the girl. Minako looked confident, charismatic and joyous, the perfect picture of a blonde bimbo. Then again, some of her answers demonstrated a depth that could be easily missed, but that left him wondering who really the girl behind the smile was.

“Uh? I didn’t know you liked to read that kind of magazine, Hiroshi,” a voice beside him suddenly interrupted his contemplation. Turning around to face Jiro, one of his band mates, Hiroshi closed the magazine, handing it over to the other man to see.

“I don’t,” said Hiroshi, “this is Julio’s idea of researching the other model for the advertising contract.”

“Is it the blonde one? Wow! She’s pretty!”

Further conversation was halted when Julio, the man in question entered the room. Julio had been the band’s manager since the very beginning, as he was the only one who really saw the true potential of a group of teens struggling to find their own identity. The man had been traveling through Japan on a holiday when he heard them at a bar; he did not rest until he convinced them to work with him.

They had never regretted that decision. Even if sometimes his ideas were a bit… strange.

Like this one, where his idea of “research” was looking through as many tabloids and gossip rags as possible.

“Hey!” said Julio. “Just the man I was hoping to find! We finally have a date for you to formally meet the girl, and to hash out the last details about the modelling contract.”

The appointment was set for the 23rd of that month, in two weeks. Apparently, the other model, Minako, was just finishing a promotional tour for her latest movie, and would not be available before that.

Hiroshi was not complaining, especially since that way he could focus on the new song he had been toying around his head for the past few days.

After acknowledging the information, Julio turned around to address the rest of the band, explaining them a deal he was working for them to be part of an important European music festival, and what they would need to go.

Hiroshi tuned him out as he looked for his guitar; still, when he was about to get it, his eyes landed on the magazine he discarded minutes before. A smiling blonde woman was looking back at it from it, and not for the first time he felt that he had seen those eyes somewhere before.

_What kind of secrets do you hide, Minako Aino…_


	3. The Contract

The 23 rd came sooner than either party anticipated, and since both would-be models were from Japan, their agents decided it would be a good idea to hold the reunion at Tokyo, more specifically at one of Renzo’s offices at Mori Tower.

Minako was the first one to arrive, mostly because she was already in the area and because she intended to grab something to eat from a café that was just a few blocks down from there. 

That a cute barista there made terrific lattes could have something to do with that out-of-the-blue decision.

Her agent was shocked to see her actually on time. She had a track record of always being late or arriving a few seconds before it was considered late. The fact that she even came in a good mood, despite the early hour, was something that the poor agent decided she would not investigate.

A few moments later, an imposing, tall, platinum blonde guy made his way to the reception table of the office, asking for the same appointment that Minako and her agent were waiting for. A couple of seconds later, a dark haired olive-skinned guy arrived too, glancing around the small waiting room, and easily spotting, both his charge and the other party to for the meeting. 

The dark-haired man quickly approached the silver-haired man, discreetly whispering to him that the other party was already there, so the meeting would be starting soon. 

And just then, the receptionist asked them to follow her to the conference room where the meeting would take place.

Once inside, proper introductions between the would-be models, their agents and the company’s legal representatives took place, arranging their seats accordingly so each party would be seated on one side of the rather big table at the centre of the conference room.

Minako and her agent Satoko on the left; Hiroshi and Julio in front of them; Renzo’s legal representatives on either side.

And so, the meeting began.

* * *

If you had the chance to ask her close friends and family, they could all tell you that subtlety was not exactly Minako’s forte. She was obvious in her dislike of food or people, in her crushing on someone, or in her suffering through tests and quizzes. 

This time, her curiosity for the silver-haired man - Hiroshi Saito, as he introduced himself earlier  - could not be hidden. 

Everybody at the table could see it, even if she thought that she was being discrete: her supposedly furtive glances, the complete attention to everything he said, even if it was not related to the negotiations or even directed at someone other than Julio, and the sunny smiles she sent his way whenever he caught her looking at her. Shameful, in her agent’s opinion.

Problem was, by the time they were asked if they agreed on the terms laid by the Renzo representatives, Minako had no idea of what had already been discussed, the words Senmaida, Shinjuku, and Hokkaido the only ones that sort of rang a bell in her hazy recollections. 

She still said yes to it.

Her agent, god bless her, quickly passed the few notes she took while the discussion was taking place, helping Minako know what actually happened. She read them quickly, while the final version of the contract was being printed and the Renzo representatives returned.

“Hey, Satoko,” Minako whispered to her agent, trying to catch her attention but keeping the other people in the room unaware of the conversation. “Do you know what the other model does? I have never seen him before, but I feel like I know him.”

“Seriously, Minako?” Satoko whispered back, an added tone of exasperation lacing her words. “I gave you his file weeks ago, so you’d know who you’d be working with! What did you do with it?”

Giving her a nervous smile, Minako answered that she might or might not have spilled coffee over a lot of things and since nothing there seemed important, she just discarded them without a thought.

“I’ll send you a new copy later today, and I expect you to read it carefully… I can’t believe you just agreed to work with them just like that… Actually no, I can believe it if your drooling over the other man is any indication.”

A mock glare was Minako’s only answer as just in that moment, Renzo’s representatives came back to the room.

Contracts finally signed, Minako turned to address Hiroshi, with the biggest smile she could conjure. 

“I’m really looking forward on this partnership, Saito-san,” she said.

He smiled, polite and professional and replied “Likewise, Aino-san.”

* * *

“So, I heard that your meeting at Renzo was a  _ real _ success,” were Usagi’s first words once they were properly seated and with some food and drinks before them.

Minako’s groan was the only answer she received before the teasing properly started.

“I also heard that a certain someone was not in the least subtle while ogling poor unsuspecting rock stars… and that negotiations could easily have included nudes but since said certain someone was busy making heart eyes, she would have never known until it happened…”

“Usagi-chan! Please! Not you too! Satoko already scolded me enough about it!!” Minako answered with a pout that could have convinced anybody else… but since Usagi had been subject to it for years now, she had already developed an immunity to it.

Usagi let the topic drop for the moment; however, the glint in her eyes promised Minako that this was not the last time she was going to hear about it.

“Wait a minute, how did you know?”

“Easy, Yuusaku told me.”

“Ugh! I knew that I had seen that blonde lawyer before!”

Yuusaku Asanuma was one of Renzo’s representatives for the modelling negotiation, and also one of Usagi and Mamoru’s closest friends.  Usagi met him several years back, both applying for an internship at the same place, he as a paralegal, and she as a designer assistant. They wound up in the waiting room at the same time, which prompted their talking and the discovery that he was already friends with her then-boyfriend; later, when they both got the jobs, they often went out to eat together during lunch time. Some of their co-workers even thought that they were dating.

Both Mamoru and Yuusaku found this hilarious - the latter more so than the former.

When the internship ended, contrary to popular belief, they did not lose contact, and still met for lunch sometimes.

It was during one of that lunch dates when Yuusaku, knowing Usagi was friends with Minako, told her exactly what transpired during the advertising negotiations, recounting everything with as much detail as possible.

Needless to say, it made more than one head to turn to see why the two blondes were making so much noise with their laughter.

“Anyway, enough of the teasing, what I really want to know is… was all that gawking and drooling over the poor man worth it? Or are we in for a repetition of the Saijou disaster?”

“I can’t believe you still bring that fiasco up every time we discuss my love life,” Minako grumbled under her breath before sighing deeply and getting a pensive stance.

The Saijou Disaster, as Usagi liked to call it, was the tale of Minako’s first real relationship. She had been following Saijou Ace’s idol career since the beginning and once she managed to land a role of princess on one of his films, she somehow also managed to catch his interest in her as a person.

Not long after, the both of them started to date, though for professional reasons only their close friends and/or family were informed of it. 

At first everything was perfect, and according to some people on set, they were the best example of relationship goals. Problem was, Minako’s bubbly personality and easy-going attitude also managed to charm everybody on set, and even if she only had eyes for Ace, his jealous side soon showed up.

The fact that she refused to cancel job appointments just to hang out with her boyfriend, also gave an extra strain to their relationship.

A couple of months after the movie premier, Minako was crying on Usagi’s lap after a messy break up with the Idol.

They tried to get back more than once, mostly thanks to Minako’s efforts, but once she started to pay more attention to her school and job offers, Ace decided to bow out and leave her to her own devices.

“ _ As I see it, you will always put duty over love, Minako, _ ” were his parting words before he stepped out of her life forever. 

“Well,” Minako said, “the eye candy was definitely worth it, but… you know, there is something vaguely familiar about him. It’s as if I know him from before, but I can’t pinpoint where or how.”

“Maybe you crossed paths before but since you were not acquainted you did not recall it,” Usagi suggested.

The pensive aura did not leave Minako for the rest of the evening, even if she tried, unsuccessfully, to convince Usagi that she was alright and that she would be fine working with the guy.

* * *

Despite having met during the contract signing, both models were invited to a small reunion so the executives, the photographers, the designers and everybody involved in the campaign could get to know each other. The reunion was held at a posh restaurant near Azabu that usually had a lengthy waiting list.

Fortunately, it was a sunny day so it allowed Minako to wear a pretty floral patterned  [ dress ](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1ScFfNXXXXXcyXpXXq6xXFXXXl/Flower-Print-Short-Bridesmaid-Dresses-Formal-Summer-2017-Polka-Dot-Pin-Up-Swing-Grace-Karin-Robe.jpg) that she was sure was not only great for the occasion but also fresh and airy. 

For the first time in what seemed forever, Minako managed to be on time for the reunion, having even some time to spare before entering the establishment and pleasantly shocking her agent speechless.

Once inside however, the reunion was the same as any other PR reunion she had attended. Plastering her most sunny and convincing smile on her face, Minako set herself to get acquainted with everybody. 

She was pleasantly surprised to learn that the one behind the general design for the campaign was none other than Yuki Matsumoto. A young prodigy who was not only really talented as a painter but also had a great eye for capturing landscapes and scenes with his camera.

Matsumoto’s fame was legendary, with fans praising his work left and right, with celebrities wanting a piece of his art to display, or with companies wanting him to capture the photographic side of their campaigns. 

The man himself however… well.

Long blonde hair barely held in a low ponytail; green, piercing eyes that seemed to always be analysing his surroundings. A permanent smile on his lips, but one that you could never be sure whether it was genuine or mocking. 

And a sense of fashion that could make almost anyone cringe.

Matsumoto was eccentric. He was aware of who he was and his importance, his body language screaming 'I am better than you’ to the point that you didn’t know if it was his every day persona or it was just a façade to show in this kind of setting.

And he was analysing her.

Minako suddenly felt very naked.

And just as she noticed him analysing her, his gaze shifted to something (or someone) behind her. 

Trying to not look like the curious woman that she actually was, Minako faked to be looking for a certain other model who she wanted to get to know a little better. Great was her surprise when she noticed that the one currently holding the artist’s attention was none other than Hiroshi Saito, the guy she supposedly was looking for.

She decided to go greet him. 

When she first spotted him, she only saw that he was wearing something black but could not see what he was actually wearing. Once she was closer to him, she stopped dead in her tracks. 

His silver hair was flowing freely with the barely-there wind, exposing a pair of silver earrings. A black button-up, with the sleeves rolled up mid-forearm and a sinfully tight pair of jeans that accentuated everything. It made her drool even more than on the initial meeting.

“Oh god… what did I do to deserve this torture…?” she moaned softly in despair.

Beside him, wearing a pair of grey slacks and a really nice olive green, cotton shirt, was Julio. In fact, it was Julio who first spotted her, beckoning her to wait for them so they could chat for a bit. 

“How am I supposed to survive this…?” she wondered. 

* * *

Although Hiroshi at first was not that on board to spend a lot of time with the bubbly and slightly airheaded blonde, he found himself enjoying the conversation to the point he was actively participating.

It may have something to do with the fact that, since both of them were from Tokyo, and around the same age, they sort of knew remembered the same events and even heard of the same people.

He almost choked on his newly served scotch when she mentioned having lived at the Shiba District. 

“By any chance, did you study at Shiba Junior High?”

At her affirmative nod, he mentioned that he also studied there once upon a time, and that those were times he remembered with fondness.  “I even returned briefly to say goodbye to my favourite teacher when I finally graduated from high school,” he admitted.

“Wait…” She peered at him. “Weren’t you one of the supposedly bad guys that used to gather near the street lined with gingko trees? I knew I’d seen you before!” 

She explained, and as she did he  vaguely remembered watching a blonde girl running like crazy trying to get on time to school or joking around with a black haired girl.

What he did not tell her was that every time she appeared, something always made him turn around and spot her, as if a sixth sense told him that something important was about to happen near him.

Signalling a nearby waiter for a refill of scotch, he quickly redirected the conversation away from his old practices at the gingko tree street and back to their old school. 

The talk quickly went to high schools, universities and degrees, quickly unveiling that even if they were both in the entertainment business, neither was the stereotypical artist with nothing to fall back in case of some career ending event.

She learnt that he had a major in Economics with a minor in Business and that he himself supervised his band’s finances. 

He learnt that she majored in Scenic Arts, but also held a minor in Design, something she studied alongside her best friend. 

At some point, Julio managed to monopolize the conversation, giving Hiroshi a chance to silently analyse Minako. He reaffirmed his opinion of her, the one that he held after reading her most recent interview: there was more to this girl than it appeared.

Somehow, the prospect of working alongside her got even more appealing.


	4. Photo Sessions

The first set of photos would be taken at Matsumoto’s photography studio, mostly because he wanted to get to know and experiment a bit with each model, both alone and together before getting them to the in-site locations.

He went as far as to ask them to arrive at different times so he could see what was better for each of them, what kind of setting and environment brought out the best of them before getting them together for the final shots.

The first one to arrive was Hiroshi Saito, a man who, according to his profile, had a stage personality that caught your attention for the entire duration of his show.

The profile also praised his good looks and his ‘long flowing beautiful hair’, a clear sign that the report was written by a fan and one that was quite generous with the praises.

“I guess I’ll have to find for myself then,” was Yuki’s annoyed whisper before turning to face the recently arrived Saito.

* * *

 

By the end of the session, Yuki was sure of a couple of things regarding the rock star. A) Hiroshi really had a natural aura that drew your attention to whatever he was doing. B) His hair was actually long, flowing and beautiful. C) There was a natural chemistry between them that allowed them to easily communicate whatever was in their minds without much explanation.

It was as if they were long-time friends, even if they had never seen each other before.

Still, that easy communication was really helpful in figuring out what worked and what didn’t with the guy, from colours, poses, lighting, and even conversation and banter between each new photo.

Honestly, he was disappointed that his time with the man was over for the day, and was only hoping that his time with the actress would be even half as good as this.

Steeling himself to his next photo session, Yuki quickly drew the next profile. Aino Minako was bubbly, they said, a bit of an airhead, but really responsible and accommodating, though she tended to arrive late. According to the report, she was “a delight to work with”, and “someone that doesn’t let fame get to her head”.

An interesting description and one that he hoped was as accurate as the one made for Saito.

Her appointment time came, and 15 minutes later there was still no sign of the blonde actress. Just when Yuki was about to pack his things and throw a tantrum the size of the studio, fast paced steps were heard coming from a corridor.

A moment later, a dishevelled blonde appeared, frantically looking around the studio while trying to regulate her breathing. When she spotted him, she lit up like a light bulb and approached him with the silliest apology he had ever heard in all his career.

A raised eyebrow and a displeased frown was his only response before telling her to go get ready with outfit #1 and to meet him A.S.A.P. at the front of the studio.

(Then again, if you asked him later about this incident, he could not textually replicate whatever she said without a fit of laughter at recalling it.)

* * *

 

The girl that emerged from the dressing room was a completely different one from the one that got there 15 minutes prior.

Her long hair was styled into a pretty loose braided bun, leaving her bangs to frame her face; her presence showed off the simple pink dress that was designed as the first outfit making it look like a nicer dress than it actually was.

Her attitude while coming out of the dressing room screamed ‘I’m here, look at me’.

Her attitude was ruined by a misstep that threw her to the floor when she was nearing the side lights.

Yuki then discovered that, when embarrassed, Aino Minako had a pretty ugly snorting laugh. Still, he managed to rein himself in and avoid laughing at her, deciding that it would look pretty unprofessional to do it.

He wanted to, though.

Allowing his photographer persona to take over, Yuki quickly directed her to the place where the pictures would be taken and started to fire instructions.

A few moments later, they were done and he asked her to go change into outfit #2 and to please be quick. She swiftly turned around, leaving him wondering what new surprise would emerge from the dressing room this time.

“It seems that it really is a delight to work with her,” Yuki whispered to himself before adjusting the lights for the next part of the session.

* * *

 

The developing process was one Yuki’s favourite things about photography. There was a certain calm, some sort of peace in the process that helped him take a hold of his own imagination and concentrate.

Usually, Yuki used these moments to reflect on his day, on his work, or on whatever issue that was deemed worthy of his attention.

This time, it was no different.

The new campaign was still in its first stages, mostly because they needed to find the common ground with both models first and then move them around to the actual stunts. In fact, the present set of pictures were to see exactly what could work for the both of them and what could work for each side of the campaign.

His eyes fell on one photo taken a day after the individual shots were made, when he asked them to pose together and to change outfits constantly so that he could play with different colours, settings and lights. It had been a surprisingly easy session, with the both of them following his instructions to the letter, and even offering some suggestions whenever they felt something could be improved.

Working with them was a delight indeed.

There was something else there too, something that any other person could have easily missed or even passed it as a coincidence. It was something so subtle but so important that let Yuki know that this work experience could get more interesting than anticipated.

Yuki was used to see desire reflected on a model’s eyes, directed towards their counterpart, sometimes even directed at him. He had even caught a glimpse of fondness, especially between those who were married or related.

This time, what Yuki saw was longing.

It was not the kind of longing you had for a long lost family member, or the one you felt whenever you were homesick. It wasn’t even the one you had for a lover you hadn’t seen in a time.

It looked like a longing of a life long gone, a life fully lived, fully loved, fully shared and utterly lost.

However, even if this longing was reflected on their eyes whenever they looked at the other, neither of them seemed to be aware of it.

It was confusing. It was intriguing.

It was something he needed to research more.

“I think, I need to make a few Phone calls,” Yuki decided. 

* * *

 

They said that Germans had a word for every feeling you could have, no matter how strange. This time, Usagi was tempted to look for the exact word for the feeling when an old friend, who was usually very busy and who usually only kept in touch via email, asked you to lunch to gossip.

She didn’t even care that it was most likely that she’d be unable to pronounce it.

Either way, here she was, waiting at one of her preferred pizza places, for someone she hadn’t seen in almost a year, with her curiosity increasing with every minute that passed and completely filled with nervous energy at seeing her friend again.

She even got there with minutes to spare.

“Calm down, Usagi!” an amused Yuusaku said, “I’m sure Yuki-kun will be here any minute now! Besides, it’s not time for him to be here yet.”

This obviously did nothing to actually calm her down.

When Yuki called her to meet for lunch because he wanted to gossip, her first thought was that they would gossip about Minako’s misadventures. When Usagi suggested including Yuusaku in their little lunch date, and Yuki actually agreed, she somehow knew their date would be long. Hours long.

The shop’s door chime rang, announcing an arrival. Usagi looked up, hoping it would be their friend, and was not disappointed as a blonde, long haired customer entered.

Waving her hand vigorously, Usagi tried to get Yuki’s attention, and managing to crack a smile when she saw him (not that serious) scowl at her for making a scene.

“There’s no need to be so… boisterous, Usagi-chan,” said Yuki.

“Oh my God, Yuki! You just arrived and are already using weird words with me!”

After exchanging pleasantries and ordering something to drink while they waited for their food, Usagi and Yuusaku bombarded Yuki with all kinds of questions, from his last painting exhibition to his (still non-existent) love life.

Yuki maintained his ‘holier than thou’ persona for about 5 minutes, before he cracked and allowed himself to be the dork that he actually was, trading jokes, asking nosy questions of his own, and laughing about every single stupid thing the other two recounted.

Like the contract signing of a certain blonde actress.

Which, if Yuki was honest, was the topic he wanted to reach somehow.

Yuusaku started to recount the tale, exaggerated (again) the glassed-over eyes the actress had, the drool almost reaching the floor, the attention span of less than a minute because of her ogling that poor unsuspecting rock star and the overheard conversation of a girl and her manager.

Usagi, not wanting to be left behind, told them all about the lunch date she had with Minako the day after the contract signing, and bits of the phone conversation they had once the joint photo shot was finished. How Minako managed to drool over the phone because “Usagi, you don’t understand! Those biceps are made of steel!!” and “I would gladly use his abdomen for more than staring” which promptly morphed to cries of despair because “How is it that I didn’t meet him before! Usagi, we were almost classmates!!”

“But wait a minute… you were present on those photo sessions!” Usagi suddenly cried when realization dawned on her.

Without missing a beat, Usagi and Yuusaku tried to milk every detail about the photo shoots: who was first, who was second, the outfits, the apparent chemistry between them, if Yuki thought that the project would go beautifully or if he foresaw trouble with the models, and especially, his opinion on everything, models included.

Yuki obviously complied and helped them roast everyone, especially the models.

In the end, the meeting was hours long, just as Usagi predicted; they were never short of topics, nor short of jokes and friendly teasing, and after a time, the original purpose of the meeting was discarded in order to update themselves on what was happening in their lives.

They talked about Usagi’s soon to be released new manga and the reason behind the pseudonym that she was using this time; about Yuusaku’s possible new love interest and how he met her at the wedding of a Senator’s protégée; they commiserated over Yuki while he ranted about the make-up staff at the studio and how he was just waiting for an excuse, a small mistake to get rid of them.

Of Mamoru’s new intern; of Yuusaku’s plans for next vacation; of Yuki meeting his idol, the man that inspired him to study arts in the first place and how nice he was.

They even fervently avoided talking about Yuki’s non-existent love life, in fear of him exploding again against humanity.

Still, the reunion was a pleasurable event for all parties involved, even if they were kicked out of the establishment because it was already past closing hours.

They agreed to try to meet more often, or at least, as often as their schedules would allow before parting ways.

 


	5. Sapporo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art courtesy of JupiterLor. You can find more of her art here:
> 
>  
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/babygirlloryn"

Discussions about locations, requests about clothing, illumination and reservation of the previously discussed places were easily agreed, and before anyone knew, all the people involved in the project were traveling to the first location.

With some prompting from Yuki, Kenzo’s directives agreed to tell a story with the photos and the commercials instead of a series of eye-catching but non-related publicity stunts.

He also proposed to sell some of the beauty Japan had to offer, hence the variance in locations.

The first place selected was the [ Hiraoka Jugei Center ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43wHtMRKYgA) at Sapporo, a botanical garden and a huge maple trees forest that was, coincidentally enough quite famous during Autumn.

Here, the little story Yuki intended to create and sell would start.

When they first arrived at Sapporo, and after having everybody checked in at the modest hotel, Yuki instructed everyone to rest for the day, not to make anything strenuous and if possible to get acquainted with the place and the locals, especially since they would be there for at least a couple of weeks.

Minako, for once, did as told, and once in her room started to unpack. While doing so, she tried to think on what to do for the rest of the day, mostly because it was still early and the weather was just simply awesome. Throwing herself at the bed, she looked up places to visit while she was there, coming up with an onsen, several restaurants, some other parks, a temple and a river.

Changing out from her travel clothes into something more touristy-like, Minako decided to go out and explore.

“Since I’m hungry… First stop, Ramen no Daishi!”

* * *

 

The call for the first shooting test was an early one. The eternal artist in Yuki wanted to try different lighting for the commercial, ranging from the sunrise light to the one he could get once the day was about to end.

Actually, it was in his plans to also try the lights provided by the night illumination of the park.

This day, however, much to his great irritation, he was only focusing on sunrise and midday. He wasn’t looking forward to the complaints about what a slave driver he was because of how hard he was working them.

He just hoped everybody was ready once he arrived to get them to the first location, or there would be real issues to deal with.

Fortunately, they were already there: the models wearing what was required of them, the make-up team carrying their bags with whatever they considered could be useful, the people with the photography equipment and most importantly, the camera crews.

The place selected was a rather pretty [ pavilion near the lake ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8AxCnss-8s), surrounded by trees. The lake reflected the sunlight in a rather breathtaking way.

Yuki even spent the evening and a couple of SD cards photographing it.

Here, they would only shoot some pictures, mostly for the still ads of both models, and would move afterwards to the road that crossed the garden from side to side, where they would rehearse the first part of the commercial.

* * *

 

Sunrise time was still a good half an hour away, but Yuki was already directing everybody to their places.

Photography crews were positioning themselves as best as they could, testing the places where the pavilion was situated, looking for the best shots they could get and looking for instruction on where the first model, Minako, would be situated.

Yuki himself was explaining to her what she was supposed to do, how she needed to stand, the exact moment in which she would have to turn around, the movement of her hair, and most of all, imprinting the importance of this made in one shot, because they would not have another chance until the next day.

Minako decided to try her best, in part because of her professionalism and in part because if she could do something to avoid waking up this early, then she would do it.

The sky was finally showing signs of getting lighter and lighter, announcing the impending sunrise, so everybody scattered to their places and waited for Yuki to make the final countdown.

“Everybody ready your cameras and start shooting in…. 3... 2… 1… Now!”

And just as instructed, the moment the first ray of light peeked over the horizon, Minako raised her head with a faraway look, as if she was waiting for something. Then, when the light started to reflect both on the lake and on her, she looked over her shoulder with a smouldering look that quickly became mischievous, ending it with a wink to whoever was supposed to be watching.

The moment she blinked, the light play was over.

“Okay!” said Yuki. “Let’s take a look at the pictures and reconvene in a few minutes. Everybody else is free to get a snack.”

Minako, who by now was starving, rushed to the refreshments table that was installed while she was getting her instructions.

“Nice job,” said a grave voice behind her, as she was piling her plate with whatever was in reach. She spun around to the owner of the voice and came face to face with one and only Hiroshi Saito.

Yuki had used his vision and design experience when he set up contrasting images to make the models more memorable in a commercial, and had had them wearing opposing colours. While she was dressed in a cute [ Ivory backless dress ](https://goo.gl/images/gvnN5N) with gold jewellery, he was contrasting her, wearing a [ dark blue shirt ](https://goo.gl/images/mFhq38) paired with a pair of black slacks.

If you asked Minako, she would easily say that the man looked utterly delicious.

It might have been something about how the rolled up sleeves accented his well-defined biceps, or the way the dark blue shirt made his hair and eyes look shinier. It could also be that he gave off an air of importance dressed like that.

Distantly, she wondered if that same air was the same he gave off during his concerts and presentations.

Suddenly remembering that he was talking to her, she smiled at him before addressing him back with something light and cheery, and idly hoping that the time between him talking to her and her response was not too much.

It seemed that it was, in fact, not.

Their conversation began as an awkward one, mostly because it maybe was the first time they talked alone, without any of their agents there to make sure the conversation kept flowing easily and filling in the otherwise awkward moments. Still, they somehow managed to properly break the ice and in no time, were talking as if they knew each other from forever.

“Filming and photography was a success!” they heard Yuki call out. “We are now moving to our next location.”They followed and continued their conversation along the way.

(If someone noticed that Minako smuggled some more pastries inside her purse for later, in case of emergency, nobody said anything about it.)

* * *

 

The place Yuki selected for the actual filming of the first part of the story was a long corridor that crossed a forest. This place, however was special because of the red, orange and yellow leaves that adorned most of the trees, prettily contrasting with the still green foliage that some of the bushes and the remaining trees had.

Still, some of the sunlight that passed through the trees at a certain time of the day bathed the place in a way that Yuki found to be quite heavenly.

It was the perfect ambience to portray the autumn theme of the campaign.

Yuki was still undecided on how to approach the sequences. For a moment, he thought of replicating Minako’s over the shoulder look, only with Hiroshi looking in her direction, but quickly found it to be horribly clichéd and overused. He then considered “stumbling upon you while walking on different directions”, but thought it over used and predictable too.

In the end, he settled with: “I saw you playing with the wind and the leaves and found you enchanting”.

Filming and photography crew would not be completely required in here, mostly because this time would only consist of explaining the idea, setting down a script of sorts and rehearsing. It would also be used to see if the outfits selected would endure or if he should shift to other colours for either of the models.

They would be relying on Minako’s skill as an actress to have this working as flawlessly as possible. And if everything went according to plan, they would film the commercial in a day’s time and they could use the remaining time there for photography and relaxing.

(And even for some praying on the nearby temple.)

“The idea is this: I need you to walk over there, where an artificial wind machine will be blowing some leaves,” Yuki said, pointing Minako over to a place where a big mountain of leaves was waiting. Turning around, Yuki continued with his explanation, this time directing Hiroshi. “Meanwhile, you will be walking down the road from there. You will see her playing with the leaves, laughing freely and chasing after some of them.

“Then, Minako, your hat will blow over to where he is standing, so you will turn around and look for your hat.”

Turning back to Hiroshi, Yuki added, “You will try to give it back to her, but before she grabs it, the wind will snatch it back.”

Levelling Minako with a look, he finished his explanation. “Here is where you replicate this morning’s look. You will turn around to look again for the hat, look how it goes up, and then look over your shoulder with a wink before running away from the scene.”

Twin nods was his only answer, and with it, they began the rehearsal.

They repeated it about four or five times, until Yuki was satisfied with the result and dismissed everybody for the day. They would film it the next day along with Hiroshi’s photo sets.

* * *

 

Gathering around the lake again before sunrise seemed to be a personal favourite for Yuki, much to many of his staff’s dismay, though they could gladly admit that the job and the pictures taken were easier if they had plenty of time to prepare.

Hiroshi’s photo set was supposed to take place on the other side from the gazette they used for Minako’s shot, in a mimicry and companion piece to the first set of photos.

Once again, Yuki was shouting orders left and right in hopes of having everybody ready for the perfect moment, moving the crews to where they could take the best shots, moving his model so he could achieve the perfect pose, and explaining to everybody what and how they were supposed to do.

Even if those instructions were already given a day before, during lunch.

Still, Yuki, as the perfectionist that he was, decided to repeat and direct everything again.

This time, Hiroshi would be facing front but to the side so the cameras could take his profile and the play of his hair while the sun illuminated him. Just like they did with Minako, he would then turn around to look at the camera, but instead of throwing a playful wink in its direction, he would throw an impassive but intense stare that seemed to convey both power and passion.

“A piece of cake, really,” Hiroshi muttered, when he was told what to do. In his humble opinion, that description did not tell him a thing of what he was supposed to do.

The fact that he only had one chance a day to convey that particular look obviously did not put any extra pressure on him. (It did.)

“Everybody ready,” called Yuki, “we are minutes away from sunrise!” This prompted the crews and the staff into a frenzy of movements.

Hiroshi took his place to wait for his cue to start “acting”, paying close attention to his surroundings and trying to get himself into the mind-set that could hopefully help him with the attitude and look he was supposed to project.

“And…. Go!”

Just as the sun was rising, Hiroshi set his sight up front, giving whatever was supposed to be in front of him a look of longing that was easily captured by both the camera men and the filming crews. A couple of seconds later, he briefly looked towards the camera, doing his best to give it the look he was asked.

Yuki’s original idea did not include wind.

The wind however, had better ideas, so a sudden gust of wind decided to make itself known, blowing Hiroshi’s clothes and hair. This look, combined with the glare he was giving to the camera, made for a set of pictures that Yuki would later treasure as some of his favourites in his whole career.

The funny thing was that, once he yelled to cut the scene, because they already had what they needed, the wind suddenly decreased until it finally stopped.

The crews called it a happy coincidence, and even joked about how the weather could come to play again with them for the forest’s leaves part.

Yuki, on the other side, looked quite pensive and remained that way well into the evening, when the next scene was about to be recorded.

* * *

 

After the rehearsals the day before, the actual filming of the first commercial went by rather quickly, leaving everybody with a couple of free days that almost everybody used to get to better know the places nearby and the rest of the people involved in the project.

This however did not apply to one Yuki Matsumoto who decided that he was better accompanied by some interesting chemicals and darkened rooms.

Usually, Yuki was regarded as the grumpy guy that loathed to interact with other people; who thought he was better off alone and even sometimes coming off as the one that thought everybody was beneath him. Truth be told, all of those might hold a bit of truth, but they were also not fully right.

Ever since he was a small boy, Yuki understood that there were certain peer interactions that quite frankly bored him to no end; he was not one to just talk aimlessly about a TV show, the newest idol or a recently released new toy. Talks about girls, boys, girlfriends, heartbreaks and crushes featured on an increasingly long list of topics that he could not give a damn about.

Sadly for him, most people liked to talk about that sort of thing as if there were nothing more important than that.

That might be why he treasured his friendship with both Usagi and Yuusaku. Honestly, the both of them could be vain as hell, living for gossip just like everybody else, but they also had a rather smart side that was usually hidden to the rest of the world and that was only shown to those close to them, sort of like the opposite of what he did.

Today’s apparent need for isolation had nothing to do with the vapid talk his co-workers were sure to be engaging right now, but with the strange event from that morning.

He wasn’t sure if anybody noticed it, but the wind that suddenly came when they were shooting was not exactly unexpected.

At least it was not for him.

But the fact that it was not unexpected did not mean that it was something easily explained. Hence, he did not mention it to the other people present during the filming.

Yuki could vividly remember how something inside him sang in tune with the sun rising on the horizon, how that song intensified the moment Hiroshi turned around to shot that glare to the camera, and how his whole skin tingled with both the glare’s intensity and the sudden wind coming from apparently nowhere.

It was as if the whole Earth were calling out to them, and they were supposed to listen to its demands.

As if the whole force of the Earth could be channelled through Hiroshi’s glare.

And for a moment, he was sure he saw Hiroshi’s clothes shift to something else, something white with grey accents and a cape, and the land behind him to change from a forest to a magnificent garden.

Changes that were just gone with the blink of an eye.

This was why Yuki decided he needed to develop the pictures taken earlier that day, because he needed to ground himself in reality, and stop hallucinating about strange clothes and different scenarios.

Once he was done with the pictures - obviously not finding anything strange with them - he decided to ask Hiroshi if he could use his image as part of his next Paintings set.

His mind was already running around with lots of scenarios where he could picture that particular hallucination.


	6. Kyoto

**** Traveling from Sapporo to Osaka was a relatively quick affair, or at least that was what Minako kept telling herself each time she felt like complaining. 

Not that she hadn’t complained plenty about the distance between places, especially once she read through the file Satoko sent her. For some reason,  _ someone  _ \- Yuki -  decided it was a good idea to travel to the north island to get the first set of pictures and videos only to go back to ‘nearer’ places to do the rest of the work. 

_ “Just be happy Julio and I were there to negotiate, _ ” said Satoko, after Minako ended her rant _ “the artist behind the concept wanted to make the whole trip into a big driving excursion.” _

The relief Minako felt once she discovered she just got out of a 21-hour long road trip was enough to buy her agent lunch for an entire week.

Nevertheless, going through the paces, documenting her luggage, getting to the airport on time since everybody was traveling together and just lazing around before boarding had her in a state of restlessness that was slowly driving everybody else nuts.

Then again, after boarding and discovering who would be her seat partner, she had a new type of restlessness that she wasn’t sure was actually unwelcome; maybe the universe had a weird sense of humour, or maybe Yuki decided he wanted to amuse himself at Minako’s expense. 

Maybe it was just that the ticket got mixed up, or maybe it was as simple as a coincidence, but seated beside her, looking at her as if she just grew a second head was Hiroshi Saito, who (bless him, really) instead of making fun of her, like she was sure Yuki and Satoko were doing somewhere in the plane, just offered her a reassuring smile, clearly readingher restlessness and interpreting it as nerves before the take off.

Minako’s returning smile turned out more like a grimace, which apparently cemented Hiroshi’s ideas, if his words of reassurance were any indication.

And as soon as she felt that the plane was taking off, she reclined on her seat, closed her eyes and asked herself “Why do these things always happen to me!”

* * *

It was moments like these when Minako was reminded that a huge company was actually paying for this trip.

Upon arrival to the airport, there were vans already waiting to pick them up and take them to Kyoto, to the place where they would be staying at for the rest of the week, so it was just a matter of picking up their luggage and boarding the vehicles.

Arriving to the ‘hotel’ was a completely unexpected thing, because apparently someone decided they wanted to spoil them by booking an entire  [ ryokan ](https://kyoto-ryokan.co.jp/) for the crew’s enjoyment.

The place was an absolute dream, the food reviews were pretty good and the best part was that even if they had to get up early, the distance between the shooting place and the ryokan was really small.

Then again, she got to share a room with Satoko, something she did not have to do at their last hotel. But that was the only downside she could find upon her arrival.

Just like before, they were given the day off to settle themselves and go explore if they so desired. 

Since it was still too early to go looking for something to eat, Minako decided that some exploring of both the ryokan and the city was in order, so after grabbing her travel bag and a cute hat to fend off the sun, she walked out of the door.

By the entrance of the ryokan, however, she found both Hiroshi and Julio, who were deciding what to do for the rest of the day. 

“Hey! Would you like to go explore with me?” she asked. “It’s a beautiful day to get to know the city!”

Both men shared a look that seemed to convey a lot of things, most of them unrecognizable from Minako’s point of view. She was able to identify amusement, annoyance and even a glint of teasing. There must have been a story behind all that.

Minako debated if she wanted to ask about that play of emotions, but before she made up her mind, Julio suddenly said, “Why don’t you take Hiroshi here to explore for the day?”

Without waiting for an answer, he pushed Hiroshi towards Minako, in what was clearly an effort to get rid of the other man. “I mean, I would join too, but my old age is asking me to take the day off to recover from jetlag and, well, you know, some other old men things!”

His charming smile and his easy words did not allow either of them to protest his manhandling, and before either of them knew, he had already disappeared behind the ryokan’s door.

Minako’s bewildered whisper of “You are not that old…” coupled with Hiroshi’s “What the hell just happened?” went unnoticed by the other party.

The honk of a passing truck woke them up from their stunned reverie, and without missing a beat, Minako turned around to face Hiroshi, asking him again if he wanted to go out and explore the city with her, all the while showing him her sunniest smile.

Hours later, Minako was still surprised that he said yes.

* * *

Their tour through the city was quite interesting. Minako, as the social media queen she always denied being, managed to arrange a tour around the city in about ten minutes that started with the Sagano Scenic Railway, continued with some temple visiting, some landscape appreciating and even making a stop at the Manga Museum.

She made two or three Instagram posts while visiting the Manga Museum tagging Usagi just so her friend could die of envy.

All in all, their trip was quite pleasant and surprisingly enough, fun. 

If Minako were honest with herself, she might admit to not having the best of luck while dealing with her crushes. She would either overwhelm them with the full extent of her bubbly personality, or they would tire of her too soon to discover what lay behind all of Minako’s layers.

There had been instances where she was the one tiring of the boy in question, or realizing they were there just to cling to her fame.

Sad, really, and thanks to all those aborted relationships, she somehow won the title of the biggest heartbreaker of the Japanese cinematographic industry.

Far from it, honestly.

This outing however was actually fun, regardless of the company. Sincerely, Minako was expecting Hiroshi to be somewhat snobby, complaining about everything and anything and creating a nightmare out of her little wish of going out and explore.

Instead, she discovered that the man in question, while quite serious and reserved, was a great conversation partner, able to follow her lines of thoughts, interjecting with ideas or opinions of his own and even jokes.

He was quite cultured, judging by his explanations about the Kinkaku-ji and the Ginkaku-ji, and the origins of some of the Buddhist and Shinto temples they visited.

She also discovered the man had a deliciously obscene black sense of humour. 

Presently, they were waiting for their food to arrive while people-watching. They picked a restaurant with a terrace in downtown Kyoto, along the Kamogawa river, since the weather was just good enough to eat outside. Minako was ‘inventing’ people’s lives while watching them pass along, and from time to time, her silliness managed to draw a smile from Hiroshi’s lips.

An expected lull in the conversation came over them once their food arrived, and not because they were finally running out of things to talk about, but because all that walking and visiting the city had left them famished. Then again, Minako realized, the apparent silence was not awkward but companionable.

With the sun finally setting and their meal almost finished they decided to take a stroll along the river before going back to the ryokan.

Unlike the rest of the day, they made no conversation this time, both too immersed in their own thoughts and inner musings to pay much attention to  the path they took. However, sooner than either of them would have wanted, they found themselves on the front door of the ryokan, which marked the end of their little adventure.

“I had a lot of fun today, thank you for coming with me,” Minako told him, giving him a sweet but shy smile. A stark contrast to the one she gave him earlier that day. 

The smile he offered her while saying that he also had fun and that maybe they should do this again was just as genuine, though it slipped off his face rather quickly when a shouted “Hiroshi!” was heard on the other side of the door. 

Turning around, Hiroshi found that the rest of his band had finally arrived, and had just spotted him. The boys were quickly approaching and once they got there, they completely demanded Hiroshi’s attention, leaving Minako a bit dumbfounded. She decided to leave them to their own devices and just go back to her room.

She was long gone when, a couple of minutes later, Hiroshi tried to introduce her to his friends.

* * *

 

_ A budding romance?  _

_ Minako Aino and Hiroshi Saito were spotted on what appeared to be a lovely date in downtown Kyoto, and since neither of them managed to catch our reporter, we were able to get some really good shots of what could be the next power couple of the Japanese entertainment industry. _

_ Continue reading… _

 

 

* * *

__

Rolling her eyes while reading the ridiculous note, Satoko briefly wondered what would have happened if either she or Julio decided to accompany those two into their little excursion. 

_ “Probably they would be spouting another equally unreal theory.” _

Still, looking at it with eyes of a manager and not the eyes of a friend, she decided that this sort of free publicity was something they could exploit, especially if they wanted to create expectations about the campaign they were about to launch. 

It was just like in the cinematographic industry: they would create speculation about the protagonists to get a better reception when the product was finally out in the open. 

But Satoko did not know Hiroshi, his opinions on this type of publicity, or his willingness to play along. She knew Minako was not exactly in favour of them. With Minako, she would need to use a subtler approach.

“I need to talk to Julio,” she said to herself, “maybe he could help me encourage them to be seen together more often.”

Either way, she had an actress to rouse from sleep so she could be on time for the photoshoot of the day.

* * *

Contrary to what they did at the last location, this time the photos they would be releasing would be sort of a mirror of each other if not for the time of the day they would be taken and the actions depicted in them.

Minako was set to work first, since her pictures were supposed to be taken at midday, with her playing the part of  a nymph of the forest, illuminated by the rays of light filtering through the trees.

For this, a really  [ pretty green dress ](https://goo.gl/images/RuSc5j) with a matching bow was selected, and since she was supposed to be a forest spirit, no shoes were accompanying the ensemble.

Secretly, Minako wondered if she could keep the dress. There were a pair of nude pumps she was dying to use with it.

Make-up this time was kept light, since this time the emphasis of the picture was not on her eyes or the look she gave to the camera, but on her as a whole. 

Naively, Minako thought this meant she could get a few minutes of extra sleep. That notion that was quickly shattered once she was told she had to be with the rest of the staff three hours prior to the actual appointment.

Which meant that she was up at the ungodly hour of 7 o’clock, heading towards the make-up tent, praying to the Kamis above that she would not fall asleep while someone was poking at her eyes.

* * *

After some deliberation, Yuki decided that the best place to take the photos was the road of the  [ Stepping Stones ](https://goo.gl/images/3w2iBp) where there was no handrail that could get in the way of what he wanted to do. Coincidentally, it was also a place where the greenery was still there, though already giving way to the oranges and yellows of the nearing autumn. It was something that, during the day, was supposed to help Minako to better blend and stand out in her little role of forest nymph and during the night help Hiroshi to better appear as a light spirit.

Minako was the last one to arrive, not because she was late, but because she was supposed to arrive once the camera and illumination crews were ready to start.

This way, according to Yuki, they could make the most of the time she used to prepare herself for her role, and judging from the state of things, how the lights were illuminating the place where she would act and the way everything looked kind of shiny, Minako could easily say he had a point.

It was supposed to be a simple affair. Again she was supposed to play around, dance and jump from one step to the next, minding the river and where she stood lest she fell down during the actual shooting.

Meanwhile, a shower of lights would appear, with some help from artificial air and lighting so that it appears that little specks of lights were coming out to play with her. This last effect would be added later if they did not manage to get it naturally.

A sudden cry from Yuki brought her out of her small reverie. “Okay! Everybody to their places! Minako get ready!” She tried to remember all her instructions, and at the “Go!” signal, she started to play her role.

All in all, she managed to have a lot of fun while playing around, something that the main photographer for the shoot seemed to appreciate too. 

* * *

According to the stipulated time table, the first part of the campaign would be released in a week’s time, just when they would start to shoot at the third location. It would not air for about two more weeks. 

The idea was to launch it the first day of autumn and ride its hype, promising fragrances borne with the season in mind. As per agreement, the fragrances would have a pre-order stage on the third day after the first commercials and photos were released.

The actual release of the fragrances would be once they were done shooting the last of the commercials, with a mandatory gala to present the fragrances for men and women, with an appearance of both Minako and Hiroshi as Renzo’s ambassadors.

Thankfully, this timetable allowed the shooting of the second video to remain a bit on the secret side and to create curiosity for those that got to participate in its making.

The day before, while the faces of the campaign were out on their not-date, Yuki’s staff was set to hand out some fliers for what promised to be the filming of a video clip for a famous rock band. People interested in attending should be at a specific time and place, where they would play as spectators of an impromptu concert for the band.

As a bonus, they were promised a small real concert afterwards, and if they wanted to, a meet and greet with the boys.

In an ideal world, Yuki would have fitted the early morning shooting, the video filming in the evening and the last photo shoot that same night. In the real world however, he was forced to pick one and move it to the next day, or risk having his staff complaining endlessly or being so exhausted that they were unable to follow simple instructions.

So the video clip was moved to give  them some more time to get people to agree to be part of the video.

Still, there was something about the night’s activities. In his head, the actual poses, the setting, the illumination, everything was pretty well thought out to the point of having the exact mental image that he wanted to portray. The only problem was that he was sure that he had seen something similar before.

No, he checked, and there was no other photo with that characteristics, or a similar setting. There wasn’t even another picture of the same style featuring a silver haired man bathed in white light surrounded by grey stones that shone in the dark.

But the familiarity of it was still nagging at him.

He just hoped he could figure out why before it was too late.

* * *

Just as Hiroshi was not summoned for the morning activities, this time Minako was left to her own devices while the night time activities were unfolding. 

However, that did not mean that Hiroshi was left alone for his own shoot, especially since really nosey band members were there pestering about everything and anything, but mostly about the absent girl and her closeness with their front man.

Even if said front man was denying all of the alleged romantic moments that his band members were intent on imaging.

For some reason, they were completely convinced that there was something going on between the actress and him, from a steamy romance where you could feel the sexual tension a mile away, to silly stories of soulmates and destined lovers that had Hiroshi rolling his eyes more times than he could count.

Yes, Minako was a really attractive woman. Yes, they had been traveling together all this time. Yes, they had gotten to know each other a bit better. Yes, they went out the other day to explore the town. 

“No, we are not dating. We are not like that, so please stop pestering me with it already,” Hiroshi repeated for the nth time in the past ten minutes.

His exasperation and annoyance must have been more than evident, because after just a few sly smirks and knowing glances, they finally dropped the issue. 

Thankfully before a certain grumpy, blonde director came over to make them be quiet.

Hiroshi’s get up consisted of an bottle green dress shirt with the sleeves folded up to show his arms and a pair of dark pants. Just as with Minako, no shoes were included for this.

This time however, the protagonist was not “playing around” like a forest nymph, but was instead supposed to just stand watch over the multiple lights that would appear around him. The illumination crew made sure to get the intended effect while installing the lamps and reflections, so his only work was to stand there and look intimidating.

They would take more than one angle, first with him on one side, looking at a point just above the water, with his hands tucked inside the pockets of his slacks. Then he would turn around looking at the camera with a knowing smirk while raising a hand in a mock gesture of control. Finally he would just gently smile at the road, as if picturing the nymph that played there earlier. 

Simple and quick. Enough that it only took them a couple of hours to get all the pictures Yuki wanted and even to experiment with a couple more poses just for the sake of it.

“That would be all for today,” said Yuki. “Thank you everybody. Tomorrow’s call is at 11:00, so get a good night’s rest and don’t be late tomorrow!”

And with that, everybody started to collect their stuff so they could go back to the ryokan. If they were lucky enough, they’d get a few minutes inside the onsen before going back to sleep.

The short trip back was made in silence, as everybody involved in the photo session was exhausted, and all were eager to get back to their rooms.

Just before everybody parted ways to go to their respective rooms, the band’s bassist someone shouted, “Hey Hiroshi! Aren’t you going to go say good night to your girlfriend!?”

The murderous glare sent in their direction told everybody that there could be a vacancy for a bassist in the band, since it was possible that their current one may appear dead on the river shore tomorrow.

* * *

Looking around at the congregated crowd on the small plaza was certainly something that filled the band with excitement and eagerness to perform for the crowd. 

The stage set for the video was almost done and people were starting to ask what song they would be using for the video. Some fans were asking if they could slip a request for the after video concert, which the band members considered could be a good option to promote themselves and get some good publicity.

So a rather busy Julio ended up even busier with fan requests while the band happily mingled with the rest of the audience.

On the other side of the stage, a rather nervous Minako was constantly checking her make-up, looking for nonexistent wrinkles on her clothes and even imperfections on her hair. 

She was nervous, and she was not sure why. It wasn’t like it was her first time filming something, nor was this her first collaboration on a video clip for an artist. Still, the strange butterflies rolling around in her stomach were reminiscent of the ones she had the first time she auditioned for a role.

Trying to calm down a bit, she revised again the instructions given by Yuki on what she was supposed to do, and how should she act during the different cues of the video. 

Her role during the video was a simple one since the focus would be on the band as a whole and not only on Minako and Hiroshi. In fact, her interactions with the band were quite limited.

Essentially, her role would be some kind of flower girl.

Once they started filming, she was supposed to appear with a small basket and hand out red flowers to anyone that seemed like they could use a flower in their lives, all while giving them her sweetest smile before moving onto the next person.

It was supposed to continue until she offered the last flower to the vocalist of the band seconds before he was set to step on the stage.

From then, she would mingle with the crowd until the band finished the selected song.

The rest of the video would be effects created backstage, such as red petals blowing up with the wind, close ups from the band, stills and short images of people enjoying the song and so on.

Finally, the time to start the filming arrived, and Minako had to get a hold of her excellent skills as an actress to put on a smile and walk to the place where Yuki was already giving directions.

Picking up her basket, she waited for the signal before starting to hand out the flowers.

The first two were awkward, the next ones not so much, and before she knew, she was done with her role except for the last flower.

Waiting for a minute or two before so they could give her the go ahead, she tried to locate Hiroshi and his band.

For some reason, the way he interacted with them made her experiment some sort of déjà vu, as if she had seen that scene several times before, as if she was used to see him handle groups of people and used to give orders and expect them to be followed.

Like some sort of General.

She was shaken out of her daydream when Yuki told her to move to the stairs beside the stage so they could film her final scene.

The scene unfolded like this: the cameras started filming the moment the band appeared, one by one climbing up to the stage, taking their places and their instruments, getting ready to start performing. Minako then approached the last one, the singer of the presenting band, and offered him her last flower. 

Then, the moment their eyes met, when she was supposed to just give him the flower and a small smile, they somehow got lost in the other’s eyes. 

The moment could have lasted centuries or maybe only a couple of seconds. They both felt like this was something special, important, as if their souls suddenly reconnected after a long time apart.

The moment was broken by Yuki shouting, “Cut! That was awesome, you two!” Now onto the next part. Hiroshi, go join the rest of the band and get ready because we start the filming of the song in 5...”

If Minako and Hiroshi were sporting a suspicious blush and if the band shot them knowing glances, no one else was the wiser.


	7. Wajima

The road trip was apparently something that could not be avoided in the end. Still, it was not the same to travel for twenty something hours in a small (or not that small) van than to travel just a couple of hours before reaching their next stop.

Once they reached the Ishikawa prefecture, Minako knew it wa s just a matter of time before they reached Wajima and with it, the famous rice paddies. 

Honestly, Minako had always wanted to visit Shiroyone Senmaida, but for some reason every time she started to plan a trip there, something happened that made her postpone it again.

Wajima as a whole could not  be classified as a sleepy town, even if their streets managed to give everybody a strange sense of peace. Yet the little port city could not be classified as a busy place either, since to be honest it was far from it.

It was homey and that was all that mattered to Minako at the moment.

The place where they would stay was once again a  [ ryokan ](https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/noto-no-sho.en-gb.html?aid=356980;label=gog235jc-landmark-en-jp-shiroyoneNsenmaida-unspec-mx-com-L%3Aen-O%3AwindowsS10-B%3Afirefox-N%3AXX-S%3Abo-U%3Ac-H%3As;sid=498df30f3a4b9e4c42329bd6c4bf291c;dest_id=-247783;dest_type=city;dist=0;hapos=1;hpos=1;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;srepoch=1538011034;srfid=9206c7894fa3178d381be1cc9746b5e82a2217c0X1;srpvid=8f6d090cf0840042;type=total;ucfs=1&#hotelTmpl) , and by the reviews found on the web, a really nice and cosy one. It made Minako wonder if there was an unspoken agreement between the company’s management department and some kind of ryokan union.

It didn’t matter though, she was going to enjoy her stay regardless.

She was sharing a space with Satoko again, something that she didn’t mind, and after being given the evening to unpack and unwind, Minako rushed to her room to get settled and start planning her day. 

She was eager to see what was around there, and to experiment some of the traditional food of the region.

“Are you going to ask your boy out again?” asked Satoko.

“Who?”

“Who? Saito, that’s who! Are you going out with him again?”

Minako scowled. “He’s not my anything, Satoko, and I don’t know if he’s available.”

“Well, his band is gone, so he should be.”

Minako didn’t  deem it important to answer that, especially after Satoko’s smirking face when she said that there was nothing going on between them. She proceeded to pick a really big red hat that matched perfectly her shoes and purse. The white short dress with printed roses that she selected for that evening was just perfect for the sunny weather of the day.

With a quick goodbye, Minako stepped out of the room, not really looking where she was going, and because of it, collided with something hard and unmovable that made her think that she’d hit a wall.

She braced herself for an imminent fall; then when no pain came from her backside, nor a rush of air, Minako opened her eyes to see what was happening.

Minako wouldl deny it until the end of time, but the startled screech that was ripped out of her was heard easily on the other side of the ryokan. 

Because here she was, in a pose that could only be described as “damsel in distress” in the arms of the man she was just discussing (and denying having something more than a silly crush) earlier.

It was a testament to Hiroshi’s resilience and tolerance to loud noises that he did not let Minako fall after her unladylike scream, asking her if she was okay instead.

Trying and failing spectacularly to hide her embarrassment, Minako replied that she was fine, apologizing for not looking at where she was going before practically running out of her room. A careless shrug and a “There’s no problem” was her only answer. Just as he was about to keep going to wherever he was going to, Minako invited him to go out and explore.

“There’s nothing out there to see,” Hiroshi said, with a blank expression. At Minako’s incredulous expression, he then added, “The main feature of the town is the place where we’ll be working tomorrow, so unless you are up to traveling to the other towns nearby, you should stick to the amenities of the Ryokan.”

To Minako’s disappointment, she found the idea of traveling again not quite appealing, especially after the trip she had already endured that day, so with a dejected sigh she thanked him and headed back to her room.

* * *

The paddies during the day were just as impressive as in the photos displayed on the Shiroyone  [ Senmaida’s website ](http://senmaida.wajima-kankou.jp/en/) . For a moment, Minako mourned the idea of seeing such a magnificent view during the spring, when the sunlight reflected on the water-filled land, making sunrise and sunsets look simply magical. 

What they were going to experience that day was just as pretty. 

What was not pretty was having to wait for the night to come and to be somewhat idle in the meantime. 

Their call on site was at 4 pm, just after lunch, and since everybody was together after having a nice meal and some refreshments, there was no waiting for people to arrive. That time was used by some to walk around and take a look at the rice paddies.

It was a little before 5 when Yuki called for their attention, explaining again what were they supposed to do. Lightning crews for the most part were to be part of the “public”, since they were not exactly required. Minako and Hiroshi were to mingle with the rest of the actual public too, having someone from the filming crew to follow them from a distance as not to interfere with both the paddies and people’s normal flow.

Minako and Hiroshi were also required to be seen helping put the lights besides the paddies, first separated from each other and then side by side, as if they had come to the same point by mere coincidence.

They would smile at each other before going their separate way.

Activity began at 5 sharp, and soon everybody was working on their alleged tasks. First moving around, then Minako and Hiroshi’s small shot (that thankfully was recorded in one take). When they had finished, they decided to wait, drink something and watch how once the sky darkened, the paddies started to come alive.

Yuki even managed to get some pictures of the gorgeous sunset before it was too late, while the rest of the filming and lightning crew moved their things to prepare for the rest of the show.

This time only Minako and Hiroshi were going to participate. Since the lights’ colours were already predetermined to change every 10 to 15 minutes, their time frame was quite limited. 

While in blue, they were supposed to film them walking side by side, smiling in a flirty way to each other, almost brushing their arms but not really touching, as if talking but not really talking. This would be the last frame of the commercial, and the one that would evoke people to look for the pictures taken and vice versa.

And if Yuki was now shamelessly exploiting the noticed-by-all-but-the-two-in-question romantic tension of his two main models…. He was sure nobody on site would call him on it.

Especially because the result was simply beautiful, like they were meant to be at the other’s side.

Risking it, Yuki decided to include a picture of the two of them during that walk to the portfolio of the campaign, and having it be considered for the final product and advertisements.

Once done with that, they focused on their individual shots, Purple was Hiroshi’s while yellow/orange for Minako. She was supposed to stand in a praying pose at one of the small hills, smiling softly at the camera and having the paddies at her back, with them reflecting on her white clothing. 

Hiroshi for his part was supposed to be walking in the middle of the paddies, with the purple lights casting some colour to his grey slacks and reflecting on his silver hair, like all the other lights were wispily dancing around him.

Just like all the other pictures, both models were able to work their environment to have a beautiful result. 

And just like some of the other pictures, these made Yuki think he had seen something like these before.


	8. Tokyo

Their last stop was Tokyo and for once, Minako was eager to get back home.

They still had one commercial and one photoshoot to make, but even if the ryokans they stayed at were incredibly cosy and luxurious, there was nothing like her bed, her pillows and her sometimes faulty heater.

Okay, maybe she could do without the heater, but still.

For a moment, Minako mourned the fact that she was now not able to invite Hiroshi to explore the town, since they both lived here and the sights were now a familiar fixtures of their day to day life.

Then, she decided that the fact that they lived in Tokyo did not mean that they both were familiar with the same things; there was a possibility that there was a restaurant or a kissaten that she knew but that he was not aware of its existence.

So she decided to send him a text and pray for the best.

* * *

In the end, they decided to meet at the Nexu station of the Chiyoda Line, where they would walk to an easily disguised kissaten.

Kayaba, the kissaten, was a hole in the wall place. You could walk by every day and unless you were paying special attention, you would easily miss it. In fact, Minako missed it every day for at least three years until Usagi pointed out that she should really try the pastries made by the new girl working there. 

Ever since, whenever she wanted to spoil herself with coffee and a pastry, she went there and spent hours upon hours doing whatever she wanted while waiting for the time to pass.

Once there, they were quickly assaulted by the smell of freshly baked bread, mixed with hints of chocolate and coffee so they promptly looked for a place to sit and for a waiter to notice them. Looking at the menu, Minako opted for an apple pie coupled with a big cappuccino with a shot of vanilla. Hiroshi on the other side asked for a slice of chocolate cake and black coffee.

“How can you drink that… ‘Thing’? It’s so… bitter!” exclaimed Minako.

“I could ask the same of you, especially after all the sugar you dropped on it,” Hiroshi said, pointing at Minako’s own beverage. 

Conversation flowed easily after that, with some silly jokes and interesting anecdotes. Soon, they moved from shallow things to talking about their careers, future projects, plans for after the campaign and the subsequent interviews were done and so on.

They were interrupted by a pretty brunette, who Minako belatedly recognized as the pastry chef, asking them if they wanted to try the “couples special”.

“This month we are offering to all the couples that visit us a dessert to share that is especially baked with the flavour of your choice,” the chef said.

Twin blushes appeared on their faces, both denying that something was going on between them, though the look the brunette gave them told them that they were either not fooling her or that they were fools for not realizing what was really going on.

Still they ignored it and instead asked for a refill of their drinks, promising to think about that special dessert.

An awkward silence settled between them, both not really looking at the other and wanting to go back to the easier atmosphere before the girl interrupted them. 

They were spared more awkwardness when Hiroshi’s phone suddenly went off. It was nothing more than a Twitter notification: someone was tagging his band asking about their participation on a music festival to be held in January. 

Minako used this to try to ask more about the band, about their music and past and future events. The topic was not a new one, since Hiroshi liked to talk about his band and Minako found out early in their budding friendship that she liked to hear him talk about it too.

They kept talking for a couple hours more while sharing a dessert that nobody asked for and that was suspiciously flavoured with the perfect mix of vanilla, chocolate and red berries.

The flavour they would have picked for the “couples special”.

They finally parted ways when it was closing time for the kissaten; Hiroshi offered to walk her home, but she decided that she wanted some alone time to ponder over some things, so with a cheap excuse she declined the offer.

Upon arriving to her house, the first thing she did was text Usagi, and asking her if she wanted to grab lunch sometime during the week.

* * *

The call for the last part of the commercial was going to be at a local bar rented for the day for the sole purpose of not having interruptions or setbacks of any kind.

Minako’s shots would be taken inside, mostly because they were supposed to involve some of the furniture of the place. For this, Minako had to wear a black dress, with an intricate set of straps on her shoulders and a flowing skirt that danced whenever she walked. 

Her hair for the first time was up in a messy bun, held only with some sort of hair pin that to be honest, with the amount of hair that she had, was a miracle that was still in place. Small silver jewellery adorned her neck, wrist and ears, making her shine under the lights. Her make-up was mostly focused on her eyes, though the lipstick selected gave her smile a tantalizing look.

All in all, Minako could be described as sin in heels.

A shame a certain silver haired man was not there to witness it first… even if he was going to see it for the actual filming of the commercial. 

A sinister smile crossed Yuki’s face at that thought. Hiroshi was going to either love him or hate him after this. For now though, he had an actress to direct, and a crew to torture too.

Yuki directed her inside while explaining her role. She was going to sit on one of the bar stools, while looking over her shoulder smiling devilishly to the camera. Then she was to turn around, keeping the smile while pulling her hair loose from the pin. The photo would capture the exact moment where her hair fell over her face, partially hiding the mischievous smile.

Lastly she would stand beside the door looking playfully to the bar, as if she was just arriving and was already looking for someone to tease.

A couple of silly poses before that and they would be done.

The entire affair was done without much trouble; said trouble coming usually from the crews getting distracted by the girl, but it was in Yuki’s opinion, a small price to pay for the great pictures they were getting.

He just hoped that, as always, Hiroshi’s photo session was as good as the one just finishing.

* * *

Some hours later, the next photo session was about to start. Hiroshi’s photos were mostly outside of the bar, where he would be using the outside garden of the bar, some of the statues and the main entrance to get his photos. For the first time, Hiroshi’s ensemble matched Minako’s, since the both of them were wearing dark clothes.

His grey Oxford slacks coupled with a black shirt and a dark silver tie were the perfect complement for his flowing silver hair. The added detail of the earrings he usually wore for concerts gave him a roguish look that added perfectly with the rest of the setting.

This time at least, Hiroshi was supposed to channel that roguish look into the photos so they matched what Minako had done. They were not to exactly mimic each other but to complement: While Minako was out to tease, he was out to hunt.

Yuki could just imagine the tension that would ensure by the end of the video. He wondered if this would be what prompted them to finally take that step into each other’s lives.

He could only hope.

Either way, he needed this video to go flawlessly and for the photos to be nothing short of excellent. And for that, he needed to start moving.

The first photo was of Hiroshi walking to the bar, with a mischievous look and a daring smile. They took about three different shots of it and when they were satisfied with all of them, they moved to the next. 

His next photo was of him resting on the bar, as if he was waiting for something interesting to happen, or just waiting for a drink he just ordered. His gaze this time was searching, his smile a muted version of the daring one; his body language completely inviting.

His last set was of him standing next to a table with what looked like a red silk scarf loosely wrapped around his hand. 

Again his body language was inviting, his smile more like the one you gave when trying to conceal a secret, while his eyes were trying to invite you to come and unveil all the secrets he held. It was a strange mix, but also one that made the photos look natural and lively.

Coupled with the others, it was an exciting photo set.

After a brief revision of the photos and once everybody was satisfied with the results, the photo session was declared over, only reminding the crew that they would be filming the commercial next night and to please be on time.

* * *

The call for the last part of the publicity campaign came sooner than anybody wanted to admit. The brief weeks leading to this moment seemed both distant and as if no time had passed at all; still, there was nothing that could stop the inevitable and even if some would deny it until their grave, they all knew they would miss this particular work team.

One by one, every crew member started to arrive: some guys from make-up, some of the photography guys, the filming crew, some technicians and background staff. 

Their director, the models and their agents, all of them were finally there.

The concept would be rather simple but sexy. Yuki was planning to fully exploit the noticed-by-all-except-the-ones-involved tension that surrounded Hiroshi and Minako.

And judging by the blushes that suddenly appeared in both of their faces when Yuki explained his plan, it seemed the video was not going to be the only amusing thing that would happen.

The video was to resemble to some degree the photo sessions held during the previous days, so its main plot line was to play coy, act coquettish and finally seduce with their eyes. 

So the narrative went like this:

A blonde girl dressed in black arrives to a bar. It’s the end of the week and she comes just to unwind and have fun. Her strides are confident, her gaze is searching, evaluative of the people inside. 

She then moves to the bar, where she takes a seat and orders a drink. She’s flirting with the bartender, hoping for a free drink, but just as she is about to manage it, her attention is diverted to the door.

A tall man with silver hair and grey eyes, dressed in a sharp grey Oxford suit, has just come through the entrance door. The man in question knows himself enough to know that he is handsome and that he can easily command the attention of the bar. 

And as such, he has decided that tonight is his night. 

While walking, he is observing, he is analysing every single person, and once he deems them unworthy of his attention, he dismisses them without a second thought.

The blonde girl sees him, evaluating him too, and the moment their gazes cross, each know that the game’s on.

She re-directs her flirting to the man, who is just taking a seat on a stool a few places away from her. Her smiles turn mischievous - daring, even, nothing like the coy little things she was attempting to use on the bartender. On his part, the man is now leaning over the bar, answering her smiles with her own inviting ones, beckoning her to surrender to her inevitable fate.

She knows she’s lost, but she still wants him to fight for it. 

In the end it’s him who finally approaches, a sure smile, a confident stride, and a drink in his hand. He puts it aside before inviting her to the dance floor. Setting her hair loose from the hairpin she has been using for the night, she accepts his invitation.

* * *

“Cut!” Yuki sounded triumphant. “That was awesome, you two! You even managed to get the whole scene in one go! I could almost say that I’m proud of you, but I won’t. Take a break, while I and the crew revise the shots.”

The spell of flirtation and seduction that had settled over Hiroshi and Minako was dispelled in a rather violent manner, harshly reminding them that they were not in fact seducing each other on a dance floor.

Awkwardly distancing each other, they went to look for their respective agents, all the while trying (rather miserably) to regain a semblance of composure.

Hiroshi was the first one to locate Julio, quickly heading in his direction, though once he was near him, he regretted his hastiness and wanted to backtrack until he could hide from the man’s gaze.

It was knowing, it was amused, and it had a distinctly wicked edge that promised incessant teasing that would last for days.

It was not what Hiroshi needed in that moment, but since Julio had already spotted him, there was no use in trying to escape it.

So he mustered his courage and walked to him.

Surprisingly, the teasing did not start right away, nor in the next few hours. In fact, once he reached him, Julio asked him if he was up to do a couple interviews once the perfume was officially launched, and if he had thought on how they would exploit further his new fame with the next tour of the band.

It was unsettling, mostly because the knowing gaze never left. Still, Hiroshi decided to not ask about it and let it lie. It was not like he was eager to tell his agent and friend that he was completely out of sorts because just in the middle of the video, he realized that he might, in fact, feel something more than professional admiration towards his blonde co-star.

And it was unnerving because it did not feel like a newly developed feeling but more like something that had been there for eons, before he noticed it was there.

Hiroshi decided to just keep going with the notions until they were all dismissed. Which, to be fair, wouldn't take too long if Yuki's praises when the scene filming ended were any indication.

Indeed, just a few minutes later, Yuki called them back to congratulate them, thank them and tell them that he would be meeting with the edition crew for the last adjustments. The rest were free as of that moment and that they would be summoned only for the official launching of the fragrances.

Heartfelt goodbyes were exchanged, some people asking for contact information to keep in touch or to have them handy in case they were needed. 

One of those goodbyes was to be with his co-model and her agent. It was a goodbye that he was not exactly looking forwards but if their last outing was any indication she would be open to still be in contact with him.

And if that was the case, he might even manage to woo her. 

For now, a hug, a smile and a “see you around” would have to suffice.

* * *

 

Usagi's living room was something that had always marveled Minako. It was a stylish thing with a perfect combination of colors and functionally that easily reflected Mamoru's pragmatic personality and Usagi's lively aura.

It also hinted to the love the two of them had for each other and the way their lives were entwined together. 

It was the perfect sanctuary to think and to reflect about the last few weeks of her life.

In any other situation, Usagi and she would be busy sharing the latest gossip about their jobs or their mutual friends. They would be roasting the latest Netflix series or discussing which actor really deserved an award. This time, however, a look was the only thing Usagi needed to know that their coffee date was going to lean on the serious part of their friendship, so after making Minako take a seat and get comfortable, she left to the kitchen to quickly fix a snack, prepare some hot chocolate and text Mamoru to try to entertain himself for a while because she had a “Minako crisis” in the making.

Usagi knew that Mamoru would understand it, having been an unfortunate witness of the “Saijou Disaster” and the “Yatenpocalypse”. Once he answered that he was going for a drink after work with some friends and that she should “please text me if you need anything”, Usagi put her whole attention to the problem at hand. 

Cautiously approaching the other blonde, Usagi put two mugs of hot chocolate in front of her, wordlessly prompting her to take one and to take whatever time she needed to gather her thoughts.

Seconds quickly became minutes and soon an hour had passed before Minako spoke.

“Usa-chan… do you believe in soulmates?”

Blinking owlishly in confusion, Usagi asked her to please elaborate. Minako answered with a sigh. “How did you know, back in the day, that Mamoru was the one? How do you still know that there will never be someone else for you?”

Instead of answering right away, Usagi took her time to think about her answer, and to wait for Minako to see if she was going to add something else. Indeed after a few seconds, Minako blew another sigh before talking again. 

“It's just that… back when we were still on high school and I was dating Saijou, I could have sworn that he was my one and only, but years later when I look back at it I know that our relationship was doomed from the start.”

“And then, there was my endless list of 'loves of my life’ that we updated weekly while I started my career as an actress… all of them were the one until a date or two later when someone said something and everything was laid to waste…” 

“So... How did you know? You've been together since you were 16 and he was 18… was there some kind of sign?”

Instantly, Usagi knew who this conversation was about, and wondered how an apparently silly crush could have developed enough to cause this level of confusion and insecurity in her best friend. Still, she was not going to dismiss her friend's turmoil and paint it as nonsense just because a few weeks ago she was teasing her mercilessly about the man in question.

“I can't tell you that there was a sudden illumination or a sudden reveal that told me he was the one,” said Usagi. “In fact sometimes after we got together, there were moments in which I doubted we were good for each other.” 

Usagi let her words sink, before starting again. “But if there was something that always made me keep fighting and keep going with this, it was the way I always tried to be a better person while around him, and his efforts to do just that too.”

Minako frowned. “Do you think… that we can have something like that someday?”

“Well… There's just one way to know it. Are you willing to take that risk?”

A wordless agreement to leave the topic behind was reached so after ordering something trashy to eat, they settled to watch a movie neither of them could actually remember.


	9. The Presentation Event

The night of the presentation gala finally arrived and it was as huge as any could have imagined. Local and international media was camped outside Mori Tower, everybody trying to get a glimpse of the people that would be attending, but mostly to get a glimpse of the stars of the show, namely Minako Aino and Hiroshi Saito.

The first set of pictures and the video for the first part of the campaign had caused as much commotion as the publicity people expected, and even then people were already speculating about what the fragrance was going to be like, what other surprises they were going to get from the publicity campaign and even some bloggers and informal media were wondering if there was something more behind the excellent chemistry displayed by the Kenzo ambassadors.

The place selected for the presentation gala was the observatory at the top of the tower, mostly because of the views, but also because it could hold the perfect amount of guests without compromising the security of the event.

For the decoration, it was decided that everything was to be in white, with lamps that reflected yellow and orange lighting. Decorations for the tables were gold or bronze, to have everything shining with the dim glow of the lights posted everywhere.

The idea was for everybody to feel like an eternal, autumn evening was taking place.

The event would be covered by a selected group of media representatives, some from written press and some for newscasts that were in friendly terms with the company. A group of media managers directly hired by them would manage the social media accounts to stream the events live. 

There was some commotion every time a known celebrity arrived. The guest list was not limited to people on the fashion industry; there were some people from the entertainment and music industries, mostly as a nod to the main occupations of the protagonists of the campaign.

Still, nothing beat the uproar when Hiroshi arrived with his band and his agent, or the crazed screams when people watched Minako arrive with her agent in tow.

Some wondered why the stars of the night did not arrive together, but chalked it up to a publicity stunt, especially when someone pointed out that his tie and pocket square matched in color with her dress.

It was a funny coincidence but everybody let them think what they wanted. 

The event was scheduled to start at 8:00, would be enlivened by a local band and the catering featured a lot of traditional Japanese cuisine that could be eaten in small portions. 

The formal presentation of the fragrances would take place at 10 sharp, followed by a short intervention of Hiroshi’s band playing the song from the commercial.

People mingled and talked to each other. Those who were part of the tour were quick to assemble in their own corner, shamelessly hogging the snacks placed near them. Celebrities were interacting between them but mostly sticking with those of the same trade.

As for Minako and Hiroshi… they were in their own world, admiring the view and commenting on its beauty, since neither of them had had the opportunity to visit the observatory before. 

They obviously missed the knowing looks the rest of Hiroshi’s band mates were sending their way, of how their agents were already planning a press release about their relationship once the both of them were brave enough to take that step. They obviously also missed how a lot of curious people kept glancing their way in hopes of getting proof before anybody else about their obvious secret relationship.

At the call for everybody to go to the room where the presentation was going to take place, all the guests started to move there, leaving the Kenzo representatives and the stars of the night to enter at the end.

A representative was the first to enter signaling the start of the presentation; he was soon followed by two ladies, each carrying a bottle of perfume and giving the attendants a flirty smile meant to grab their attention from the door.

Then it was Minako’s turn, whose  [ burnt orange and white strapless, satin dress ](https://goo.gl/images/tNJRy9) , reflected the dim light from the lamps situated inside the room reminding all that it was an autumn-themed event. Her golden mane, held in a rather intricate ponytail only managed to make everybody sigh with what they could see but never have.

Behind her, two men entered the room, again each holding a bottle of perfume and giving the audience a flirty smile rivaled only by the one given by the other girls.

And then, with a determined stride and a stoic face, Hiroshi entered the room. His d [ ark brown suit ](https://goo.gl/images/QbevAA) , coupled with a burnt orange tie and pocket square gave him a look of serious but informal style. The fact that the suit was perfectly tailored to fit his form and that it managed to emphasize all of his attributes only served to restart the concert of sighs inspired earlier by Minako.

In everybody’s minds, they were nothing short of the perfect match.

Words from Kenzo’s president and from the leader of the campaign preceded the presentation of the four fragrances. 

Since the commercials were made both during the day and the night, they would be presenting an “eau de toilette” and a “eau de parfum” for both men and women.

They started with the fragrances for the day, inviting both Hiroshi and Minako to come forward while one of the models sprayed the air with the other fanning it to help the smell move. It was first with the women’s fragrance, followed by the men’s.

Some minutes later they did the same with the night fragrances. Even if they were essentially the same, each fragrance had a uniqueness that would help separate and identify the other.

Applauses and comments were soon followed with an invitation to order the fragrances if they had not yet pre-ordered and to return to the common area. Hiroshi’s band would perform while they handed out gift bags.

By midnight, the gala was in full swing, everybody was still enjoying the decoration, the music and the food, even if everybody was already free to leave whenever they wanted. 

Some reporters were trying to get a brief interview with people still at the party, getting a few words from the campaign leader and some other figures from Kenzo’s board.

Someone tried to get an interview with Yuki Matsumoto. It did not end well.

Then again, the most sought-out people were both Minako and Hiroshi, together and alone; everybody wanted to know about their experiences, or about their opinions on the perfume lines. 

They were quite agreeable to answer what they could, sometimes offering smiles and jokes, thought it seemed that nobody noticed how the smiles turned stiff every time the question of their apparent, secret, fabulous relationship came up.

Finally fed up, and feeling more tired than she was willing to admit, Minako looked for Satoko among the multitude of people to tell her she was going home.

“Hiroshi offered to accompany me, so the both of us are leaving,” she said.

In any other occasion, Satoko would have teased her, telling her to be safe and use protection, but one look was enough to know that the only thing that would be happening that night was a good sleep and a trip to oblivion courtesy of the god of dreams, so with a smile and a brief hug, she bid her goodbye and promised to take care of whatever happened later.

* * *

 

The drive to Minako’s home was made in silence, mostly because they were tired but also because they were lost in thought wondering what would happen next.

By the time they got there, Hiroshi, ever the gentleman, walked her to her front door. “I’m just making sure you get inside safely,” he replied, when she asked why he did not stay in the car.

“Thank you… for everything,” Minako told him with a shy smile once they were in front of her door. Her eyes were reflecting the moon, making them shine along with the small jewelry she was still wearing. The open expression in her face and the feelings reflected in her eyes made Hiroshi breathless for a second.

He did not answer her thanks. Instead, almost unconsciously, they approached each other, until their faces and their lips were almost touching.

A whispered “Minako…” was the only sound on the street.

Until the shrill sound of a ring tone interrupted them, making them jump apart and making them remember where and with whom they were.

Smiling awkwardly, Minako said goodbye again before rushing to her home and leaving a still confused Hiroshi behind the door.

It was some hours later when she smacked herself for her behavior and wondering when they would see each other again.


	10. Epilogue

Another cloudy morning filled with routine. Another day without news and if she was honest, she was getting desperate. It had been several weeks since the last time she had any contact with him and she was fearing the worst.

Sitting heavily on the Engawa, she looked to the sky. She knew that he promised that he would come back, that once he came home they would start planning their wedding, and that they would soon enjoy the rest of their lives together. 

She wanted to have hope, she wanted to believe, she needed to have faith.

Looking up and spotting an unusual movement from the clouds, she  stood up and started pulling out the Amados to cover the Engawa. She was so lost in thought while piling them up, that she almost missed the knock on the outer door.

It was a messenger. 

Holding back tears of despair, she received the missive, knowing exactly what was inside but refusing to acknowledge it. There was only one reason for her to get this exact form of communication, and the seal of a golden chrysanthemum only served to cement the knowledge.

Her love was dead, he was never coming home.

Closing the door behind her, she collapsed to the floor, letting the tears flow and not trying in the least to hold in her violent sobs. 

She wanted to believe that it was a mistake, that any moment now he would be coming home with a huge smile and some trinket he found for her.

But after a day or so of crying and denying the truth, she had to admit it was not going to happen. She was alone and he was gone.

* * *

“Cut! Marvelous, Minako!” the movie director praised “Had I not written the script, I would have believed that you were actually in mourning from some lost love! Everybody take a break while we revise the scene!”

Everybody scattered around the set without much prompting, looking for something to eat or just for a corner to rest while the filming crew and the director convened. 

If everything went as expected, they would be a single scene away from finishing the film and everybody was excited to finish it. It was supposed to be a drama set during the war times of the feudal era, and while everybody got along just fine and they were happy with the director and the script, almost everybody was looking forward to stop wearing the intricate clothing of the Heian period.

Everybody except Minako.

Had you asked her a year ago she would have laughed in the face of whoever told her she would enjoy wearing a seven layer kimono. Truth was, it wasn’t until she was offered this role and she started to investigate how the hell these things worked that she slowly fell in love with them.

The fact that they were made of different fabrics, textures and colors depending on the season they were worn only served her to realize that even ancient Japanese women had good taste in clothing.

Moving from the prop house, she also looked for a place to rest her feet. She was in love with the clothes, but she was certainly not fond of geta and tabi. While at it, she also spied the food hoping to get something light but tasty since she was planning to get lunch on her way home.

She was about to grab some crackers with cheese when a tap on her shoulder interrupted her. Turning around to see who it was, she saw one of the guards of the studio holding a card on her hand, most likely there to deliver a message.

“There’s a Hiroshi Saito outside the studio looking for you. He said you are good friends.”

Minako smiled broadly. Unlike the girl she was playing for the movie, she had been in constant communication with Hiroshi while he and his band went on a tour. “Oh God! What is he doing here! He said he wouldn’t be home until tomorrow!” 

She ignored the  murmurs and looks of curiosity. She ignored her aching feet still clad in tabi and geta. She ran to the door where a smiling Hiroshi stood waiting for her.

She threw herself at his arms, and he caught her easily, spinning her around, smiling and laughing. Once he put her down, and before she could ask anything he kissed her soundly, a kiss that she answered after a few seconds of elation and confusion.

The shy but happy smiles they shared once they parted said everything they needed to know. 

END

 


End file.
